Growing up
by littlemissbig
Summary: Based on the Snow Spider Trilogy by Jenny Nimmo. Gwyn senses a new threat and finds that he needs to be more stronger than ever if he is to be victorious.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own this, Jenny Nimmo does and i'm only borrowing it to put my own weird imagination into practice...

**Chapter One**

"Time to find out if you are a magician!" said Gwyn's grandmother… "Time to remember your ancestors: Math, Lord of Gwynedd, Gwydion and Gilfaethwy!"

These words were words that would live with Gwyn as long as he shall live. The words spoken by his grandmother on his ninth birthday changed his life, but maybe not in a good way.

For as long as he could remember Gwyn wanted to be a normal boy, a boy free of the responsibilities of a great magician. But no one can escape their destiny and that meant that Gwyn had to put up with the short stature and the way his bones would ache sometimes. It wasn't fair on him but for Gwyn Griffiths life had never been fair.

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It wasn't odd to see Gwyn Griffiths standing at the top of one of the hills on his family farm. For hours he would stay, staring unseeing into the numerous clouds and when the clouds would disappear he would count the stars that spread across the sky. This caused him alot of bother with his father but his mother would always shush him down claiming that a boy needed his peace.

But Gwyn was doing something that was worth the time he spent alone, his body had been growing more tired recently and he was storing his energy. He could feel something coming, like a gathering storm. Truthfully, it scared him. He had been through many things since becoming a magician and he had met them head on but this feeling...it felt like a cold deep in his heart. It was oddly like a premonition, one which foretold his death.

Gwyn did not want to approach his grandmother with this as his grandmother would just give him a knowing eye and send him on his way, all the while muttering long lost Welsh poems and spells. Gwyn wasn't afraid of his Nain, it was just that she had the habit of annoying him sometimes. Her odd ways were too odd for him to handle at the moment and so it was best that he avoid her.

Walking slowly Gwyn climbed up his mountain, not caring about the bitter cold that would nip at his arms and legs. He had been so cold lately that feeling more didn't seem to register. Arriving at the top he leaned against the fence and looked upwards. The clouds were drifting in their natural way but Gwyn saw beyond that, in his mind the clouds formed into jagged shapes, beasts with sharp teeth and wild looks. He could only continue to stare as the shapes moved towards him, biting and kicking. Gwyn fell to the ground in a heap, his magic drained. What he felt was...it was so strong.

He knew what it was now...It was another magician, one who didn't seem to like Gwyn Griffiths.

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Nia Lloyd was busy. She had just had a wonderful idea for a new wall hanging she was working on for her room. It was more for Bethan than for her, her sister needed bright colours and the different shapes to help her become smart. That is why Nia Llyod begged her father to bring her up the mountain to see Mrs Griffiths, Gwyn's Nain always was willing to dye her plain cloths wonderful colours, colours of the sun and of the Welsh poppy that grew all over the mountain. It helped that her brother, Alun, wanted to see Gwyn. They were best friends and would often hang around together when there was nothing else to do or talk about their boring boy stuff that all boys talk about. But there was a special place in her life for Gwyn, she had always seen the magic around him, it glistened like an illumnating aura, warm and special. She liked to think that he liked her in his own way, but she was only Alun's little annoying sister so she had no illusions about that.

Arriving at Mrs Griffiths' cottage she was surprised to see Mr Griffiths' range rover outside the door. Nia had heard from Alun that the relationship between Mr Griffiths and hs mother had been strained for a while, since Bethan had gone. It hadn't helped that Mrs Griffiths was slightly mad in the head, Nia found her exhilarating and always enjoyed her visits.

"Look Alun, Mr Griffiths is at Gwyn's Nain's cottage. Maybe Gwyn is there too." Nia told her brother.

"Dad, can we check here first?" Alun asked their father.

"Yeah, but be quick. I've got work to do." Mr Lloys was a butcher in the town, a horrible job if Nia did say so herself. She was a vegetarian and proud of it. Her family didn't agree with her but they had learnt to just let her do what she wanted to do. It was easier that way.

The kids scrambled out of the car and through the vine covered gate leading to the cottage. Before they got to the door it burst open and out stomped Mr Griffiths, a concerned look on his face. At seeing them he stopped abruptly and looked backwards as Mrs Griffiths came behind him.

"Have you seen Gwyn?" He barked at them.

"N-no Mr Griffiths, sir. Is he missing?" He scared Nia, after all he was nearly as tall as the door, and tended to loom over people.

"He has been missing since last night and no one has seen him." For once Mrs Griffiths looked old, there were wrinkles around her eyes and the sparkle usually evident in her eyes was missing.

Nia gasped in shock. The mountains could be harsh, but it was summer and there were many more hours of light. Had Gwyn fallen and become so hurt that he could not walk? Had he become trapped in one of the hidden caves. Nia felt the worry flow through her veins and she felt like crying. But she was reassured when she felt her father's hand upon her shoulder.

"Ivor, how can I help?" The soothing tones of her father's voice brought hope to Nia, as she knew he would always make things right.

"I've organised a search team, it is not like Gwyn to be gone for so long." Nia could see the pain in his eyes, see that he was stuck in the moment years before when his daughter Bethan had gone missing in the mountains and had never returned.

"Nia, Alun stay here with Mrs Griffiths. I'll come back and get you later."

"Awww dad..." Alun whined.

"No comments from you. Mrs Griffiths do you mind if they stay here?"

"Of course not, we'll be fine. Just find Gwyn." Mrs Griffiths nodded and sheparded the children into her cottage and gave a significant look to the men, she was worried and that was bad.

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Gwyn could hardly open his eyes, he was so drained and the energy that it took to move had disappeared. He could feel the grass and the sun on him but there was no urgency to do anything. Gwyn had felt hunger but that too had gone, he felt nothing accept emptiness and dread.

He didn't know how long he had lay there but the day had turned to night and then again to day. Still floating he finally heard the disjointed sounds of feet and yelling, then rough hands turning him over talking to him. Gwyn just sank back into the darkness, to the power that seemed to be dragging him in, and slept.

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own this, Jenny Nimmo does and i'm only borrowing it to put my own weird imagination into practice...

AN: thank you my one little reviewer, i'm a big fan of the snow spider trilogy but sadly haven't read all Jenny's books, just the trilogy - so i'm sorry. I'm currently reading Eragon but after that i'll try and find the books in my library (they have to be there somewhere) thanks again for the review, it made me update way quicker.

**Chapter Two**

Glenys Griffiths was worried. Her own little boy was gone, lost somewhere in the vast fields that had taken her little girl so long ago. She didn't want to think about the bad things that could of happened, _Gwyn is a smart boy he's probably chasing a baby lamb across the country._ It was better to think that than to let the grief of long-lost memories to come back to the surface. But still she couldn't concentrate, she had to fiddle with the cooker and re-wash the dishes - dishes that Gwyn should be eating from...

_No... Stop it...Don't think like that..._

It is odd how memories tend to repeat themselves when you don't want them too. You tell yourself that you musn't think about it but you mind decides that you need to look at every corner of information you have on it. It drives you insane with guilt and worry and crowds into your head until you want to scream and protest at such things. But you can't get rid of it, it won't leave. So how are you supposed to cope with the never-ending stream of self-disgust? Close your eyes? No, instead you see everything flash before your eyes. Keep busy? No, another insignificant thing distracts you and sends a fresher wave of distress through you. The only thing you can do is let yourself wade through the jumble and hope you can pull youself out of it, it hurts too much to try otherwise.

_Gwyn..._

As if her thoughts were coming to life the front door burst open and Ivor entered with Gwyn held securely in his arms. Glenys almost wept with joy but at the look on her husbands' face only felt the worse.

"Is he alright?" She grabbed at her son. "What's wrong with him?"

"I-I don't know." Ivor whispered out.

As Ivor lay the boy on the living room settee she couldn't help but gasp at seeing her sons' face. It was covered in tiny red marks, like dots or freckles, scattered everywhere.

"I called off the search and got one of them to call the doctor." Glenys nodded and reached over to tuck a random strand of hair behind Gwyn's ear. His hair had gotten so long lately but it didn't seem to faze her son one bit. Feeling a bit redundent and useless she got up and pulled a blanket over Gwyn, not thinking about the warm, cloying weather outside that seeped into the room. Even though it didn't help her fingers were itching to do something, to protect her son or grab him to her, but she couldn't...not yet.

Sitting besider him she was there when the doctor came, when he ahhhhed over the spots and nodded his head as if knowing everything.

"Well Mrs Griffiths I would say that your son has the chicken pox." Glenys and Ivor stared blankly at him.

"Excuse me?" Ivor muttered.

"Yes the chicken pox. It would explain why he was just lying there, you see it came on very rapidly and I suppose the impact of it made him faint and lack the energy to call for help." The doctor looked proud at his own deductive skills.

Mrs Griffiths however felt that his diagnosis was wrong. It just didn't _feel _like the chicken pox, but the man was a doctor for a reason...

"What can we do doctor?"

"Well, give him lots of fluids when he wakes up and see if he wants anything to eat, not too much, but make sure he's getting fluids. Also make sure he doesn't scratch at the blisters and put a special cream on it, i'll write you a prescription - here." He handed over the note to Ivor. "Make sure he doesn't play with the other children because this is very contagious. Goodbye"

With that he just left. It shocked Glenys out of her daze and she started to fuss around her boy.

"Ivor, will you pop into town and get the cream, oh and tell Nain what happened, and the others if they want to know. I'll make some soup, that'll be good for him. I must light the fire as well, need to keep him warm."

Ivor just nodded at his wife's flightiness and went to do what she said, but he didn't this with a niggle in his stomach - something wasn't right...

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Nia was still worried. Her dad had come by to pick them up saying that Gwyn had been found high in the mountains and that the doctor was looking at him, but that didn't really answer her curiosity and worry. She could see the same sort of fear in Gwyn's grandmothers eyes, it was scary. It was as they were being sheparded into the range rover that Gwyn's dad pulled up next to them. Her and Alan were immediately in front of him as he exited his vehicle.

_"Mr Griffiths is he okay?"_

_"What happened? How's Gwyn?"_

Their questions seemed to blend into each other's and a burble of incomprehensible gibberish busrt out. Mr Lloyd shook his head and pulled them backwards.

"I hope everything's okay, Ivor?"

Ivor just nodded.

"Can we see Gwyn dad..." Alan pleaded.

"No." This from Mr Griffiths. "No one can, the doctor said so."

"And why is that?" Mrs Griffiths had decided to join in the conversation, her worry for her grandson pulling the bite from her words.

"The doctor said he has chicken pox and is very contagious." The children looked baffled, Mr Lloyd looked sympathetic, and Mrs Griffiths looked baffled.

"Chicken pox...?" She said slowly. "Are you sure?"

"The spots are a dead give away." Ivor was getting slightly annoyed, as much as he - loved - his mother they just didn't get along all the time, she was too eccentric for his tastes.

"Spots...?"

"Yes, red little lumps all over his face." You could tell he was getting fed up with the conversation.

"Hmmmm." Mrs Griffiths turned around and disappeared behind the walls of flowers surrounding her little cottage, she had reading to do.

"Well if there is anything we can do, just give us a ring." Mr Lloyd offered.

"Thanks, i'll do that." Of course he wouldn't, Ivor Griffiths never asked anyone for help, he was just like that. "See you later."

At this they all departed. Mr Griffiths to get the medicine and the others to return to their little house. Nia saw that Mrs Griffiths didn't think it was the chicken pox, she didn't either. She knew for a fact that when Alun was seven he had given it to all of them, including Gwyn and you can't catch it twice. No. Something was wrong, very wrong and she needed to find out what it is.

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End file.
